Comparison

X vs Airline Commander

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

X

Experience a highly realistic flight simulator with accurate physics and detailed 3D cockpits. Explore numerous airports and terrain, with options to expand scenery and aircraft through subscription and in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Realistic flight model
  • Interactive 3D cockpits
  • Detailed 3D airports
  • Free tutorials
  • Massive multiplayer
  • System failure simulation
  • Emergency scenarios
Features
Read full description

The most realistic aircraft. The world at your fingertips. It’s not a game, it’s a flight simulator. ▶ "Highly recommended." — Mel Martin, Engadget ◀ ▶ Featured by Apple in "Best New Games" ◀ ▶ Over 1 million downloads! ◀ Come experience why real pilots fly X-Plane. It starts with the flight model—the same flight model used in our FAA-certified desktop simulator—that’s complete enough to model the flex in your wings & the tilt in your landing gear. Add to that our desktop-quality aircraft with multiple liveries and interactive 3-D cockpits—so detailed you can do a full startup procedure using the hundreds of buttons, knobs, & switches in the cockpit. With working gauges, flight displays, & more, these cockpits are as realistic as those in our full desktop sim. But aircraft are no good without a place to fly them. That's why each of our 5 ▸free◂ regions features detailed terrain, lifelike city buildings, & 3D airports—complete with terminal buildings, jetways, hangars, & more. Want more? Subscribe to unlock global scenery, and get access to over 37,000 airports, with more than 11,500 airports featuring 3D terminals, hangars, & more. ▶ FEATURES √ 9 ▸free◂ tutorials, teaching the basics of takeoffs & landings, traffic patterns, helicopters, & more √ Massive multiplayer with thousands of other pilots and controllers in a single shared world (Professional subscribers only; non-subscribers can get free trial flights for a limited time) √ Fully interactive cockpits on many aircraft, wired to real systems models, with working gauges, displays, buttons, & switches √ Full startup procedures supported on many aircraft (optionally start any aircraft from cold & dark) √ More than 50 systems modeled, each of which can be failed on command √ Emergency scenarios √ Combat missions ▶ AIRCRAFT The app includes 2 aircraft (plus 5 scenery regions) for free. In addition, the following aircraft are available as in-app purchases: • ▸Free!◂ Cessna 172SP w/ 4 liveries • ▸Free!◂ Cirrus Vision SF50 w/ 5 liveries • Cirrus SR22 w/ 3 liveries • Cessna Citation X w/ 3 liveries • Airbus A320 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Airbus A330-300 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Boeing B737-800 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Boeing B777-200ER Airliner w/ 3 liveries • Boeing B747-400 Jumbo Jet w/ 3 liveries • Bombardier CRJ200 Regional Jet w/ 3 liveries • Douglas DC-3 Airliner w/ 3 liveries • McDonnell Douglas MD-80 w/ 3 liveries • A-10 Thunderbolt II (“Warthog”) Fighter • F-22 Raptor Fighter • F-4 Phantom II Fighter • Beechcraft Baron B58 • Beechcraft King Air C90B • Piper PA-18 Super Cub • Piaggio P.180 Avanti • Sikorsky S76 Helicopter ▶ SCENERY 5 scenery regions are ▸free◂ for everyone! • Oahu, Hawaii • Grand Canyon • Seattle/Tacoma, Washington • Juneau, Alaska • Innsbruck, Austria Global scenery is available by purchasing a monthly or yearly subscription. ▶ MULTIPLAYER Come join tens of thousands of other pilots and controllers in a single, shared world! Try the Fly-In of the Day to meet up with hundreds of other pilots, or explore the MMO world for more chance encounters. Massive multiplayer is in early access—we wanted to get it in your hands as soon as possible—so we’re going to continue adding new features & improvements over the coming months. Terms of Service available at: https://www.x-plane.com/x-plane-mobile-terms-of-service/ Download X-Plane now to experience aviation like never before.

About

Airline Commander

Experience the next generation of flight simulation. Take off, navigate, and land a variety of aircraft in realistic conditions. Build and manage your own airline fleet while facing challenging scenarios and dynamic weather.

Highlights
  • Dozens of airliners
  • Realistic airports and runways
  • Real-time aircraft traffic
  • Simplified and advanced flight systems
  • Realistic takeoff and landing procedures
  • Competition mode
  • Customizable airline livery
Features
Read full description

Meet the flight simulator of the next generation. Take off, fly to the airport in the city nearby & land. Build & manage an aircraft fleet. And it’s just the beginning of what Airline Commander, one of the most realistic airplane games, has to offer! Flying features: - Dozens of airliners: turbine, reaction, single deck or double deck. - Dozens of main hubs with taxiways to open thousands of routes towards all the major airports of the world. - Hundreds of realistic airports and runways. HD satellite images, maps and worldwide navigation for every region & airport. - Thousands of different situations to handle. - Real-time aircraft traffic, with real airlines, on the ground and in flight. - Simplified flight system with navigation help or flight simulation for advanced users. - Realistic SID/STAR takeoff and landing procedures with pushback system, taxiing and the possibility to dock. - Competition mode to prove you're the best pilot. - Realistic different times of the day with sun, moon, stars and real-time weather conditions. - Customizable airline livery. Time to take off! In this flight simulator you start as a new pilot who must learn how to fly big aircrafts. Listen to an experienced flight pilot, take off from the airport, get familiar with all the controls in the cockpit & make a safe landing. Get a pilot license & start building your own airline in one of the most realistic airplane games! Expand your airplane fleet Take new contracts & fly in realistic weather conditions with real-time traffic & earn money to expand your aircraft fleet. Buy new airplane. A bigger plane. Choose new flying routes, improve your skills & get a new pilot license. The more you fly in this airplane flight simulator, the more options to expand your airline fleet. What’s wrong with this aircraft? Like in most airplane games, not every flight is smooth… and because Airline Commander is one of the most realistic airplane simulator games, everything can go wrong. Failure of sensors, instruments, ASM, fuel tanks, landing gear & engines. Malfunction of flaps, rudder, air brakes & radar. Not to mention wind, turbulence & fog with various levels of severity… It’s a dream come true for every fan of flight simulator games who looks for an immersive, realistic experience. A simplified flight system Not ready for true airplane simulator experience? Airplane games don’t have to be hard. Choose a simplified flight system and ease your time with every take off & landing. Not everybody has to make a carrier landing from the start so take your time and enjoy a bit lighter take on a real flight simulator. Customize your plane Games from the flight simulator genre usually let you customize a plane and Airline Commander is no exception! Change the livery of every plane in your aircraft fleet and admire its look in the beautiful 3D that no other airplane games can offer. Airline Commander - a flight simulator like no other The newest game from the creators of RFS - Real Flight Simulator takes realism above the level of flight simulator games. Whether you’re an experienced pilot or completely new to flight simulator games, Airline Commander lets you feel the thrill of flying like no other plane games. DOWNLOAD NOW & pilot an airplane in one of the most realistic games about flying among the simulator games genre. Support: For problems with the game and suggestions please write to: airlinecommander@rortos.com

Screenshots

X4 screens
Airline Commander4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Airline Commander at 4.6 against X's 4.0. Airline Commander also leads on ratings volume (82K vs 25K). X's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. X sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Airline Commander sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Airline Commander holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25K and 82K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of X's written reviews are positive against 52% of Airline Commander's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
X versus Airline Commander: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXAirline Commander
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (25K ratings)4.6 (82K ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.2% of reviews — better51.7% of reviews
Number of ratings25K82K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.0 GB1.1 GB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperLaminar ResearchRORTOS SRL

Customer experience

X

All ratings24,532 ratings
Positive74.7%
Neutral7.2%
Negative18.1%
Written reviews2,634 reviews
Positive58.2%
Neutral14.5%
Negative27.3%

Airline Commander

All ratings82,282 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.5%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews2,783 reviews
Positive51.7%
Neutral13.5%
Negative34.8%

User reviews

X

From 25K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Realistic flight physics
  • 👍 Highly interactive cockpits
  • 🤠 Great for flight enthusiasts
  • 💡 Potential to be used for flight training

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive planes and subscription
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches in some planes
  • 🌍 Limited free global scenery
  • 🎮 Challenging controls for beginners

Airline Commander

From 82K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great flight simulation
  • ✈️ Realistic aircraft models
  • 📚 Teaches aviation mechanics
  • 🎮 Engaging gameplay

Room to improve

  • ⏱️ Slow progression and long wait times
  • 🛑 Repetitive takeoff and landing tasks
  • 🤖 Questionable AI behavior
  • 🔍 Lack of free flight mode

Bugs and requests

X

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Altitude hold issues in the MD-80
  • Inconsistent cockpit quality across different planes
  • Unexpected plane behavior during takeoff and landing

Requested features

5 requests
  • More free planes, especially commercial airliners
  • Larger free flight area and more airports
  • Improved autopilot and flight planning features
  • Addition of ground services like pushback and jetways
  • More realistic weather, lighting, and environmental effects

Airline Commander

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent crashes and app instability
  • Unrealistic engine failure scenarios
  • Inconsistent landing gear behavior
  • Navigation issues and incorrect waypoints

Requested features

4 requests
  • Full flight mode from takeoff to landing
  • More varied challenges and scenarios
  • Multiplayer co-pilot feature
  • Improved graphics and visual effects

In-app purchases

11 purchases

X

Subscriptions2
  • X-Plane Mobile Basic$4.991 Month
  • X-Plane Mobile Professional$5.991 Month
One-time9
  • Piper SuperCub$0.99
  • Baron B58$1.99
  • Sikorsky S76$2.99
Show 6 more
  • McDonnell Douglas MD-80$4.99
  • Airbus A320$4.99
  • F-22 Raptor$4.99
  • Boeing 777-200ER$4.99
  • Boeing 747-400$4.99
  • Boeing B737-800$4.99
13 purchases

Airline Commander

One-time13
  • AC Credits small$1.99
  • Offer Pack 2$1.99
  • Offer Pack 3$2.99
Show 10 more
  • AC Credits medium$4.99
  • Flight Pass Premium$4.99
  • AC Credits large$9.99
  • Flight Pass Premium$9.99
  • Offer pack 12$11.99
  • Flight Pass Premium$12.99
  • Flight Pass Premium$19.99
  • Offer pack 20$19.99
  • AC Credits huge$29.99
  • AC Credits mega$49.99

Questions

Is X free?
X is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Airline Commander free?
Airline Commander is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, X or Airline Commander?
Airline Commander is rated higher. X averages 4.0 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Airline Commander averages 4.6 from 82K ratings.
Do X or Airline Commander have ads?
Airline Commander shows ads; X does not.
Which is updated more often, X or Airline Commander?
X ships an update fortnightly, and Airline Commander fortnightly. Most recently, X was updated on September 24, 2026 and Airline Commander on September 24, 2026.

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